Determination of THC in milk

Hemp is grown as an agricultural crop for production of fibre, seeds and oil. In addition, hemp has potential as animal feed material for dairy cows. It is relatively cheap and a source of fibre and protein, and it has been reported to improve digestion. Although legal hemp varieties contain less than 0.2% of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and the transfer of THC from feed to milk is very limited, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has reported that the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake through milk may be exceeded when hemp or hemp products are used as animal feed. Data on occurrence of THC in milk from dairy cows fed with hemp/products are virtually non-existent.

Contact:

Hans Mol (hans.mol@wur.nl)

Cluster:

Natural Toxins & Pesticides (NTP)

Date:

2015

The topic of the internship is the development of an LC-MS-based method for the determination of THC and relevant metabolites at low levels in milk. After successful validation, farmers using hemp/products as feed material will be approached to provide feed material and milk samples which will be investigated for the presence of THC.

Main techniques

The main technique will be LC-MS/MS.

What we are asking

Enthusiastic student with a background in analytical chemistry (HLO or MSc)

Basic knowledge of chromatography and mass spectrometry

Available for a period of at least three months

What we offer

Expert guidance during the internship in a state-of-the art food/feed safety laboratory.